An image of a homeless boy using light from a McDonald’s restaurant in the Philippines to do his homework has gone viral on social media.
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He may be only nine years old, but the determination by Daniel Cabrera to use education to drag himself out of poverty struck the medical student who stopped to take his picture, which was shared around the world. Aside from cash, Daniel has reportedly received school supplies, school uniforms, a reading lamp and a scholarship offer that is enough to get him through college, thanks to a regional politician named Samuel Pagdilao.
Ms Espinosa and her three youngest children, including Daniel, have been living in her employer’s mini-grocery store since their shanty home was gutted by fire five years ago.
Cabrera is one of three children to 42-year-old Christina Espinosa who works as a domestic helper for owners of a store, earning 80 pesos or the equivalent of $1.77 per day, according to Yahoo!
According to Times Live, Daniel’s mother, Christina Espinosa, said they were overjoyed with all the blessings they have received.
Espinosa described her son as “studious” and determined to obtain an advanced degree. With that, we are able to help Daniel in reaching his dreams. “I want to help the Philippines”, he told the radio station.
“I will study all night and play all day”, he said.
The manager of the McDonalds outlet, Iris Prak, said Daniel was frequently seen doing his homework in the carpark and staff often gave the family water.
After Joyce’s photo went viral, she took to Facebook again to thank everyone for their support, “I didn’t think that a simple photo can make a huge difference”.
“For me as a student, it just hit me a lot, like big time”, Joyce Torrefranca told the Philippine news network ABS-CBN.
“Despite the hard conditions, Daniel is committed to his studies and whilst his classmates are playing football in the streets, he is often spotted studying in the light of the restaurant”. The 9-year-old said he wants to be a policeman and a doctor when he grows up. Violeta Cavada, the city’s social welfare chief, said that her office is now experiencing difficulty in managing the amount of financial assistance, Daily Mail reported. This has become his regular study location, as the third grader’s home has no electricity.
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Cols Salinas commented on her Facebook page: “It touched the life of that kid and his family”.
